Havant charity in desperate plea for warehouse space as humanitarian expedition to Ukraine 'overwhelmed'

Volunteers from the charity Stella’s Voice, which supports children at risk of trafficking and slavery in Moldova, have been overrun with donations.

Despite being pleased with the ‘fantastic’ response, a lack of sorting space could delay any expedition,

Mark Morgan, European director at Stella’s Voice, said the planned mission in the next two to three weeks may not start.

He told The News: ‘The site is completely overwhelmed.

‘We’ve barely got any space and it is still coming in thick and fast.

‘We’re going to have to close the doors and stop taking stuff in, as we are physically running out of space.’

Working with Havant Borough Council, the charity have set up a donation point at The Meridian Shopping Centre.

Mr Morgan, 51, said the space was already 70 per cent full by the time it officially opened on Tuesday.

Essential items such as warm clothing, toiletries, blankets, food, sleeping bags, bedding, nappies and other items are all being requested.

The problem of being unable to process the influx of donations has risen rapidly.

Mr Morgan said the charity also needs more ‘muscle help’ to sort through the aid.

He has worked with the charity for 34 years, and said the four day trip to Moldova will be on hold until a new space is found.

The director added: ‘The place is now so full of stuff, and everything has to be checked, weighed, inventoried, wrapped onto pallets and documented.

‘Those pallets need to be stored somewhere while we work on the next lot to fill a truck.’

Stella’s Voice already has a network of contacts in Moldova, and financial donations to refugee camps helping Ukrainians have already been made.

So far, 57 Ukrainian refugees have come through its houses, on top of the vulnerable children already living there.

Wayne Keeping, the operations director, said the charity has already expanded to cope with rising donations, but needs more space.

He told The News: ‘We are just becoming overrun here.

‘We had to create a sorting centre as we were getting an influx of donations into our shops, now we need to move on further and get a warehouse.

‘I now need a place I can lay out pallets, load them, and somewhere a lorry can collect the pallets when they’re sorted.’

Mr Keeping added he is ‘very please’ and ‘overwhelmed’ by the response of local residents and beyond.

Two 7.5 tonne lorries full of bedding even arrived from Manchester this week.

He added the need for aid is increasing due to the impending Ukrainian refugee crisis.

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So far, the charity made sure one refugee camp in the country has a fully fitted kitchen and washing machines, so it can adequately house 250 people.

If extra storage space can be found, Mr Keeping plans to send artic lorries to Eastern Europe.

He sees the impending refugee crisis worsening.

He said: ‘Moldova is taking so many refugees in, that they are going to run short of food and essential items.

‘We’ve only seen the tip of the iceberg.

‘This is definitely set to be the biggest refugee crisis since the Second World War.’

A message from the Editor, Mark Waldron

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